TORONTO — The second time was the charm for Taylor Elgersma.
The Wilfrid Laurier quarterback cracked the winter edition of the CFL Scouting Bureau's top-20 list of eligible prospects for the league's 2025 draft Wednesday. Elgersma claimed the final spot after being unranked when the fall list was released in August.
The six-foot-six, 213-pound Elgersma didn't use the slight as motivation this season.
"I'm not really focused on that," the London, Ont., native told reporters during a teleconference. "It's my job to just perform, it's my job to focus on what I can control and I'll let the other people do the evaluating.
"I think it's a pretty special thing … I'm just very thankful, feel very blessed to be on this list."
Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke remained atop the list after securing the No. 1 ranking in August. But six players — No. 2 Damien Alford (WR, Utah), No. 6 Nolan Ulm (WR, Eastern Washington), No. 7 Akheem Mesidor (DL, Miami), No. 9 Wesley Bailey (DL, Rutgers), No. 11 Jett Elad (DB, UNLV) and No. 12 Rene Konga (DL, Louisville) — were all reclassified to 2026 while fourth-ranked Eric Schon (OL, Duke) retired.
That helped create plenty of movement on the winter list.
Toronto's Paris Shand, a defensive lineman from Louisiana State, moved from third to second. Stanford receiver Elic Ayomanor, of Medicine Hat, Alta., who recently declared for the 2025 NFL draft, was No. 3 after being unranked in August.
Isaiah Bagnah, a defensive lineman at BYU from Lethbridge, Alta., moved four spots up to fourth, followed by Montana receiver Keeland White, of North Vancouver, B.C., who was No. 10 in August. Hamilton's Jaylen Smith, a defensive back at North Texas State, moved up 14 spots to No. 6 while Montreal's Jeremiah Ojo, a defensive lineman at Montreal, was seventh from No. 14 in the fall.
Rounding out the top 10 are Western defensive back Jackson Findlay of North Vancouver, (No. 8 from No. 5), Montana defensive lineman Hayden Harris (unranked) and Western offensive lineman Erik Anderson of London, Ont., (No. 17 in August).
Others moving into the top 20 after initially being unranked were: UConn offensive lineman Christopher Fortin, of Saint-Rene, Que. (No. 11), Bowling Green defensive lineman Ali Saad, of Windsor, Ont. (No. 12), Laurier receiver Ethan Jordan, of Chatham, Ont. (No. 16), Calgary's Samuel Carson, an offensive lineman at Louisiana at Monroe (No. 17), UBC running back Isaiah Knight, of Ottawa, (No. 18) and Calgary defensive back Nate Beauchemin, of Kelowna, B.C. (No. 19).
But Elgersma certainly did his part to warrant being included on the winter list.
He led U Sports in passing yards (3,554), passing yards per game (323.1) and TDs (28) in capturing the Hec Crighton Trophy as Canadian university football's outstanding player. He guided Laurier to its first unbeaten regular season in 19 years before the Golden Hawks lost a heartbreaking 22-17 Vanier Cup decision to Laval.
Elgersma has been busy this month. After attending QB Country in Mobile, Ala., a quarterback training and development facility, he also participated in the College Gridiron Showcase and Tropical Bowl.
"Most important of all, a lot of time spent on the board expanding my football knowledge to the American game," Elgersma said. "Being able to get exposed to a bunch of American playbooks, a bunch of American concepts and how those concepts tie together has been great for my overall growth as a quarterback and football player."
Elgersma also credits his development to participating in the CFL's quarterback internship program the last three years with the Toronto Argonauts (twice) and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The initiative, launched in 2010, allows young quarterbacks to attend training camp and participate in practices and team meetings.
"Being with those guys day in and day out and seeing what it's like to live as a professional football player, be a professional football player, that's invaluable experience," Elgersma said. "The big thing with that program is you get out of it what you put into it.
"I decided when I went to those programs that I was going to treat it like I was going to make the team. I was going to be the first guy in the building, the last guy out. I was going to learn the whole (playbook) and give it everything I had.
"Diving into that experience has really developed me as a player."
Not long ago, Canadian quarterbacks were rare in the CFL. Now, both the B.C. Lions (Nathan Rourke) and Edmonton Elks (Tre Ford) feature Canadian starters.
A pro football career has long been on Elgersma's radar.
"My goal was never to be a great U Sports football player, my goal was always to be a professional football player," he said. "But I know that's not going to happen if I don't focus on the process and the process is the daily grind, it's the daily work you put into it."
The CFL draft will be held April 29.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2025.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press